Love Lock

Chapter 136 Xu Bing's Passage
Upon seeing the Marquis and his wife emerge, the servants immediately knelt down with a thud.

"Greetings, Lord Marquis and Madam."

The servants bowed in unison, but the Marquis and his wife did not look at them; instead, their gazes fell on Princess Chang Le.

"Changle!"

When the Marquis of Champion saw her daughter, her voice trembled and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

She took a few quick steps forward, pulled Princess Chang Le into her arms, and stroked her cheek with trembling fingers.

"My son, how...how did you become like this?"

Princess Chang Le leaned against her mother's chest, closed her eyes briefly, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Mother, I'm back."

The Marquis of Champion stood to the side, his face gloomy, his gaze sweeping over his daughter and the disheveled servants, his brows furrowed.

He said in a deep voice, "What exactly happened? How did you get into this mess?"

Princess Chang Le lifted her head from her mother's arms, her gaze calm yet tinged with weariness.

"On our way back, we encountered bandits and were kidnapped and taken up the mountain. We barely managed to escape."

Upon hearing this, Lady Marquis of Champion's tears streamed down her face even more uncontrollably, her fingers tightly gripping her daughter's sleeve: "My child, you've suffered so much... What about those bandits...?"

Princess Chang Le shook her head, her voice indifferent.

"No. They just locked us up, they didn't do anything to us."

The Marquis's wife breathed a sigh of relief, but then tenderly stroked her daughter's cheek.

"Her Majesty the Empress said that you admire Zhao Zun. Did you go to Cangzhou to find Zhao Zun?"

"Ok!"

Princess Chang Le nodded gently.

"How could you be so foolish? Why did you go to Cangzhou alone? That place is a poor and desolate place. How could a young girl like you go to such a place?"

Lady Marquis of Champion sighed and exchanged a glance with Marquis of Champion.

Since Princess Chang Le hadn't returned for so long, they all thought she and Zhao Zun had already started a good show in Cangzhou!
To his surprise, not only did he not get a good show, but he also ended up in such a sorry state.

Princess Chang Le lowered her eyes and said in a softer voice, "I just want to see him."

"See him?"

Champion Hou snorted coldly, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Cangzhou King Zhao Zun? You, an unmarried princess, secretly went to see a man outside the palace and almost lost your life! Do you know that if word gets out, your reputation will be completely ruined!"

Princess Chang Le raised her head, looked directly at her father, and said in a soft but firm voice, "I don't care about my reputation. I just want to see him."

"you!"

The Marquis of Champion was so angry that his face turned ashen, and his finger trembled as he pointed at her.

"You really are... ungrateful! What kind of place is Cangzhou? It's a remote and impoverished border region! Although Zhao Zun is a prince, he cannot come to the capital without being summoned. Even if you two are in love, what can you do? Do you want to marry into such a place and live a life of hardship?"

Princess Chang Le pursed her lips and did not answer.

Seeing this, the wife of the Marquis quickly grabbed her husband's sleeve and whispered, "My lord, the child has just returned and has suffered so much. Please don't blame her anymore."

Marquis Champion took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said coldly, "From this day forward, you are not allowed to step out of the manor again! As for the King of Cangzhou, you'd better give up that idea as soon as possible!"

Princess Chang Le did not refute, but silently lowered her head, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

Lady Marquis of Champion sighed, turned to the servants still kneeling on the ground, and said sternly, "Listen to me, no one is allowed to spread a word about what happened today! If I hear even a whisper of it, you know the consequences!"

The servants immediately kowtowed, their voices trembling.

"We understand, and we would never dare to say another word."

The Marquis's wife nodded and waved her hand: "Go down, all of you. Clean up properly and don't let anyone notice anything amiss."

The servants, as if granted a pardon, quickly withdrew.

Princess Chang Le stood there, her eyes vacant, as if she were a soulless shell.

Lady Marquis of Champion took her hand tenderly and said softly, "Changle, go and wash up first, and get some rest. We can talk about it later."

Princess Chang Le nodded, letting her mother pull her towards the inner courtyard.

Champion Hou stood there, watching his daughter's back, his brows furrowed, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

The Marquis of Champion murmured, "Cangzhou King Zhao Zun... It seems I have to find a way to completely extinguish her hopes."

A gentle breeze blew through the mansion, stirring up a few fallen leaves, as if to foreshadow that this turmoil was far from over.

...I am a lazy dividing line...

Cangzhou, Fufeng County.

Due to years of war in Beiguan, there are very few able-bodied men in Cangzhou, except for the Beiguan military camp.

Moreover, it is currently the busy season for farming.

Therefore, Zhao Zun's recruitment of soldiers in Fufeng County was very slow.

It's been almost half a month, and Zhao Zun's five hundred soldiers still haven't all arrived. He sees this and is very anxious.

However, the cement plant and mining site are developing rapidly.

The road winding from the cement plant to the mining plant has been officially opened to traffic, becoming the first cement road in Fufeng County.

This mountain road, though not as wide as the roads in the county town, carries the hopes and sweat of countless people in Fufeng County.

Along one side of the mountain road, at intervals, stands a steel pipe painted green, like a loyal guardian, silently protecting this newly built road.

At the top of the steel pipe hung solar-powered lights. Although they seemed rudimentary to Han Lei, they were enough to illuminate every corner of the mountain road and guide the laborers who were hauling goods at night.

As night falls, the mountain road is gently illuminated by these streetlights.

With these streetlights shining, the miners can work in shifts with peace of mind, transporting iron oxide to the cement plant day and night.

At this moment, the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

In the distance, along the Qulin River, the roar of generators and water pumps rose and fell, playing the first industrial symphony of this era.

Having finished repairing the mountain road, Yang Qiquan is leading a group of craftsmen, sweating profusely as they dig irrigation ditches between Qulinjiang and the cement plant.

Their figures, seen from the mountain road, resembled a group of hardworking ants, busy yet orderly.

Hua Tianyou has been here for a few days now. As expected, he kept his word and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.

He not only learned to drive a three-wheeled vehicle, but also particularly enjoyed tinkering with Han Lei's novel modern gadgets. Han Lei once jokingly told him that he had the potential to be a factory worker.

At this moment, Zhao Zun and Hua Tianyou were carefully hanging solar lights one by one from the top of the steel pipes, using a ladder.

Although their movements were clumsy, they revealed a seriousness and persistence.

Han Lei, dressed in casual sportswear, squatted on the ground nearby, intently assembling a portable toilet.

When Han Lei transmigrated to this era, what gave her the biggest headache was the rudimentary and inconvenient toilets.

Last time, when she was taking a dump on the mountain, Princess Chang Le and that coward Wei Chengchao drugged her and kidnapped her without a word.

That experience remains a pain in her heart to this day.

Nowadays, whether it's a cement plant or a mine, all the workers here are men, which she finds really inconvenient.

Therefore, she decided to prioritize solving the toilet problem, which would not only be convenient for herself but also for everyone else. Besides, with a water source, assembling the portable toilet was very easy. "Girl, bring a few more lights," Zhao Zun called to Han Lei from the ladder.

Han Lei responded and stood up. She took out a few solar lights from the cardboard box and was about to hand them to Zhao Zun when her pupils suddenly contracted and her eyes stared straight into the distance.

In the distance, in the woods across the Qulin River, some black dots seemed to be slowly wriggling, which caught her attention.

"Look, what is that?"

Han Lei put down the lamp in her hand, pointed to the grove of trees across the river, her brows furrowed slightly, and her voice carried a hint of doubt.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun raised his hand to shield his forehead and squinted as he gazed into the distance.

A breeze swept by the river, causing the hem of his clothes to flutter slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on that patch of black dots.

"It's too far away to see clearly. It looks like an ant, but not quite."

"Nonsense. How could you possibly see ants from that far away?"

Han Lei rolled her eyes at him, then quickly took out a pair of binoculars from her spatial storage, adjusted the focus deftly, and looked across the river.

Han Lei frowned and said, "It's an army, marching this way, as if they intend to cross the river."

After saying that, she handed the binoculars to Zhao Zun, gesturing for him to examine them carefully.

Zhao Zun stood on the ladder, took the binoculars, and carefully observed the movements on the opposite bank.

A moment later, he put down the binoculars, his expression serious.

"It's the army from Xuzhou. I saw the general in charge, Song Yuanqing."

Zhao Zun said in a deep voice, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken, it was the Turks who attacked Yong'an City, and Cao Xiong or Li Gang requested help from the imperial court, which then dispatched troops from nearby Xuzhou."

Han Lei nodded, and said thoughtfully, "That should be the case."

Then, she asked curiously, "Who is Song Yuanqing? Is he very powerful?"

As Zhao Zun hung the telescope's lanyard around his neck, he explained it to Han Lei.

"Song Yuanqing is an upright and straightforward man. He is the youngest son of the Song family and has loved martial arts since childhood. He is very skilled in martial arts. He is the only military officer in the entire Song family."

After speaking, Zhao Zun's gaze lingered on the river surface, as if he were pondering something.

In the distance, near the stone bridge, the Xuzhou army was slowly advancing, their iron armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Zhao Zun stood on high ground, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. Gradually, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

He turned his head and lowered his voice to Han Lei beside him, saying, "Girl, our army... is ready."

Han Lei's eyes lit up, and her tone was filled with excitement: "How so?"

"Hehe." Zhao Zun smiled but said nothing.

Han Lei glanced at the black dot on the opposite bank of the river that looked like an ant crawling forward, her brows furrowing slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "Could it be that you intend to intercept this army from Xuzhou?"

Zhao Zun did not answer directly. After jumping down the ladder, he simply smiled mysteriously, his gaze as deep as a still pool.

"No, you'll find out when the time comes."

His tone carried a confidence, as if he had everything under control.

Although Han Lei still had doubts, seeing Zhao Zun's certainty, she stopped asking and simply nodded silently.

Zhao Zun turned his head and his gaze fell on Hua Tianyou, who was not far away.

Hua Tianyou was hanging a lamp in front of another steel pipe when Zhao Zun waved to him, his tone somewhat hurried.

"Tianyou, hurry up and go down and turn off the generator and water pump, then go back to the cement plant. Hurry."

According to his guess, if the Xuzhou army was going to support Yong'an City, judging from the direction of their march, they probably wanted to pass through Fufeng County, cross Canglan County, and arrive directly at Yong'an City.

The roar of the water pumps and engines was deafening. If the Xuzhou army heard the roar when they crossed the river and discovered the existence of these two modern machines, they would be in big trouble.

Therefore, the machines had to be shut down before the Xuzhou army reached the riverbank.

When Zhao Zun spoke, Hua Tianyou waved in response, "Okay."

Immediately, he nimbly jumped down the ladder, eagerly started the three-wheeled vehicle, and sped down the mountain.

Hua Tianyou's background is quite unique.

He was frail and sickly from childhood, and nearly died as an infant. Therefore, the Duke of Heng petitioned the late emperor to name him "Tianyou," meaning that heaven would bless him with peace and health.

The Duke of Heng doted on him, granting his every wish. Over time, Hua Tianyou developed a spoiled and unruly personality.

At home, he was treated like a little emperor, with the whole family revolving around him and putting him first in everything.

However, after he entered the Imperial Academy and met Zhao Zun, his temperament seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

He was no longer as arrogant as before; instead, he listened to Zhao Zun's every word and became Zhao Zun's little follower.

He himself couldn't explain the reason for this change. Perhaps it was because Zhao Zun's innate leadership qualities made him feel in awe.

Zhao Zun watched Hua Tianyou leave, then turned to Han Lei and said, "Girl, I'll take you home first."

Han Lei shook her head, her tone firm: "No need, you go ahead and do your own thing. I still have a lot of work to do here."

Seeing her insistence, Zhao Zun said no more, simply nodded, and then started the three-wheeled vehicle, heading down the mountain.

Han Lei stood there, watching Zhao Zun's departing figure, pondering how Zhao Zun was going to get the army.

She knew that Zhao Zun was always meticulous and decisive, but this time, she was worried that Zhao Zun's plan might be in danger.

Han Lei couldn't help but pray silently, hoping that everything would go as he wished.

Hua Tianyou parked the three-wheeled vehicle by the river. The roar of the two modern machines gradually dissipated into the damp air, and the sound of the rushing river once again filled the silence.

Back at the cement plant, Zhao Zun pulled Hua Tianyou aside and whispered a few words to him.

Hua Tianyou's expression gradually changed from initial doubt to seriousness, and finally he nodded.

"I know how to do it, don't worry!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Zun's lips curled up slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with his answer.

Without saying anything more, the two quickly headed towards the planned chicken and duck farm.

Since Han Lei adopted blasting to mine bauxite, the workforce at the mining site has been redistributed.

Apart from leaving a few dozen laborers to load trucks and drive three-wheeled vehicles for transportation, the other hundreds of laborers were transferred to construction sites for chicken and duck farms and pig farms.

On the barren land, the soil is infertile, and stones of all sizes are scattered everywhere or buried deep in the soil, as if this land has never been tamed.

The laborers bent over, some digging stones from the soil with shovels, while others piled the collected stones into the rough outline of the walls for the pig farm and chicken and duck farm.

After the wall is built, concrete will be poured on the outside. This way, local materials can be used and wasteland can be reclaimed.

Simple septic tanks will also be built outside the two sites. Once the sites are put into use, the decomposed sewage can be used to irrigate the reclaimed wasteland and plant crops.

Zhao Zun and Hua Tianyou walked hurriedly, the gravel beneath their feet making a soft scraping sound. Their gazes frequently swept towards the distant official road, as if they were waiting for something.

The planned site for the chicken and duck farm was right next to the official road. If the Xuzhou army passed by, they would definitely see the laborers working there.

Zhao Zun frowned slightly, as if he was calculating the time in his mind.

He urged Hua Tianyou in a low voice, "We must get things arranged here before they do."

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